The utilization of blood taken from donors and infused into recipients is well known for purposes of treating medical emergencies and other conditions. More recently, selected blood components have been separated and collected from blood for subsequent infusion into recipients requiring blood component therapy. The primary blood components include platelets, red blood cells, white blood cells, and plasma.
In order to collect blood components, blood is removed from a donor by a needle assembly or other blood access device and is thereafter processed utilizing centrifugation or other appropriate separation techniques to isolate and collect the desired components. This procedure is carried out most effectively in an on-line process wherein blood is removed from a donor, processed through a disposable extracorporeal circuit to obtain the desired components, and thereafter returned to the donor. One blood component collection system which provides for this type of blood component collection procedure is the COBE Spectra.TM. which is commercially available from the assignee of the present application.
The yield of a particular collection of blood components is an important factor. For instance, presently in the United States a yield must be associated with a collection of blood components in order to be a useful blood component product. COBE Spectra.TM. presently accommodates for this requirement by processing certain donor biological data such as height, weight, sex, and hematocrit, preconfigured/operator-input data such as the total procedure time, and system-related data such as the type of collection procedure (e.g., single or double needle) and collection efficiency to generate certain process parameters such as the inlet flow to COBE Spectra.TM. (a combined flow of whole blood from the donor plus typically a flow of anticoagulant) and a predicted blood component yield as well.
An additional consideration presently in the United States relating to blood component yield is that it is determinative of the product classification. With regard to platelets, presently a single platelet product is considered to be a collection of 3.times.10.sup.11 platelets and a double platelet product is considered to be a collection of 6.times.10.sup.11 platelets. If the collection is between 3.times.10.sup.11 and 6.times.10.sup.11 platelets it is still considered to be a single platelet product. This classification as a single or double platelet product is relevant to blood component collection facilities (e.g., blood banks/centers) since a double platelet product has a higher selling price associated therewith than a single platelet product and also typically benefits more patients. The yield of a particular collection of blood components may also be a relevant consideration for certain therapeutic treatments.
Other important considerations relating to blood component collection systems relate to the donor. For instance, blood component collection facilities are not only experiencing an increase in the overall demand for blood components, but the demand now typically varies between the blood component types as well. Moreover, not only is the supply of donors unfortunately in many cases inadequate, but donor time constraints are becoming more prevalent. Furthermore, obtainable yields from a given donor may vary from one blood component to another (i.e., one donor may be a better platelet source than a red blood cell source).
Based upon the foregoing, the management of the various aspects of blood component collection systems is becoming increasingly important.